Where: South Boston, same route as the “official parade”
Please join Veterans For Peace and other peace and social justice organizations for this historic alternative “people’s parade” following the official Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.

Background: Again this year we were denied permission to walk in the “Official Saint Patrick’s Day Parade.”

This year, as last year, we will march immediately following the “official parade.” Our parade is a “people’s parade for peace and justice.” We invite all progressive groups (peace, environmental, women’s rights, civil rights, Occupy Boston, labor, LGBTQ, communities of faith/congregations, etc.) in the greater Boston area to please join us as we follow behind the official parade. Article from last year: click here.

2 comments:

Report From Al Johnson (not the minutes just my take on the highlights). Others in attendance at the meeting are encouraged to give their views, including on the contentious “dress code” issue addressed as the last point.

The meeting started at a little after 7:00 PM with about ten members of the committee attending, including representatives from various organizations that attended the first meeting. After introductions, Pat Scanlon, sitting as chair started discussing the agenda points.

Members of the parade committee are meeting with various local organizing groups connected with the official parade in Southie this week and with the police on February 14th.

We right now have a commitment for a lead car. We have no floats yet although a representative from GBLT said they were thinking about the idea. Pat emphasized the importance of bands and that we should all make connections with any bands from high schools to local amateur clubs to bring them on board. A letter to that effect is in the works.

Outreach to various peace groups, the usual suspects, is continuing apace. That is our foundation but we must expand from there. A suggestion for a letter to church and other religious groups is getting off the ground .We can all check with our various religious connections and religious social action committees to publicize our action. The GBLT is mobilizing in that community and may provide a bridge to the social action committees, especially in Boston. Labor right now is our weakest link other than individual rank and file militants and labor support organizations like Jobs for Justice. Everyone who has some organized labor connections is urged to contact the leadership and ask for participation. The Occupy movement and its working groups are being canvassed for support. In that regard an important meeting of Mass Occupy at the Boston Teachers Union Hall on Mount Vernon Street in Southie (near Carson Beach) is set for February 18th from 12-4. This will provide a chance for outreach to community groups from places like Quincy and JP, etc.

Everyone should write to your local paper, your local politicians, etc. to join our parade. Or at least put them on record to not attend the official parade/breakfast. We can use all the press we can get from the Globe on down and all other media sources including a blitz of social media.

The major point, major point of contention, at this meeting was over the issue of the “dress code” mentioned at the beginning of this post. There was (is) some controversy over what to do about those, mainly from the Occupy movement, who wish to wear masks for whatever personal, political, cultural or social reason. Some, expressing a public relations concern, wanted a ban, or at least serious discouragement, of this form of expression. Others, including me, expressed dismay that we would exclude anyone in general agreement with the goals of the action which after all is about our exclusion from the official parade for political reasons. In the end there was general concurrence that we would not exclude based on dress but would do outreach to explain the public relations aspect of the peace parade and the milieu we would be trying to influence. Others at the meeting can chime in on their take on this issue. I think that I have at least addressed the “factional” line-up.

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About Us

The Smedley D. Butler Brigade is a chapter of Veterans For Peace in the Boston, Massachusetts area. We meet once a month in Cambridge and are active in the local antiwar movement. We are named after Maj. Gen. Smedley D. Butler, the most decorated Marine in history, who famously said "war is a racket".

Followers

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

We, having dutifully served our nation, do hereby affirm our greater responsibility to serve the cause of world peace. To this end we will work, with others

(a) To increase public awareness of the costs of war.(b) To restrain our government from intervening, overtly and covertly, in the internal affairs of other nations(c) To end the arms race and to reduce and eventually eliminate nuclear weapons(d) To seek justice for veterans and victims of war(e) To abolish war as an instrument of national policy.

To achieve these goals, members of Veterans For Peace pledge to use non-violent means and to maintain an organization that is both democratic and open with the understanding that all members are trusted to act in the best interests of the group for the larger purpose of world peace.